Blank Slate Features Art that Spotlights Mental Health
by David Rolland
“All of the isolation and loneliness that people feel has only been exacerbated over the last year because of COVID,” explained artist Domenic Esposito. This concern for those dealing with mental health issues led to Esposito’s creation of his new art exhibition Blank Slate which will be showcased at The Box Gallery from March 6 through 29. For the last ten months Esposito has painted and sculpted pieces meant to convey empathy for those suffering from mental illness. “I have these sculptures hanging waist high giving you the feeling they’re looking for you. It gives you that strange feeling myself and people I know have gone through. It allows people to step back and realize this could be me suffering through this, this could be a family member.”
As Esposito packed his artwork in the trailer to make the drive from his home base in Massachusetts to The Box Gallery in West Palm he described his art in further detail. “I have these three silhouettes that turn into a megaphone that represent a hundred years of protest movements. There’s a sound component to it with a directional speaker playing the sounds of decades of protests. It’s a statement on how activists sometimes get it right.”
Esposito is proud to consider himself an activist just as much as an artist. His last major exhibition dealt with the opioid crisis. He crafted giant spoons and placed them in plain view of big pharma and others who contributed to the addiction and deaths of so many. He believes Blank Slate is a progression from those statements. Our culture’s lack of concern for mental health was a root cause for the massive dependence on opioids. By mixing a few of his opioid works in with Blank Slate he’s hopeful it might help a few gallery visitors make that connection.
This history of activism is what originally brought Esposito’s artwork to The Box Gallery’s attention. Gallery owner Rolando Chang Barrero said, “I opened the gallery to be a cultural center for activism that ties into contemporary issues. This work fascinated me. It was museum quality work that will be identifiable to everyone from young people to the elderly.”
In this spirit, in lieu of a traditional opening, Blank Slate will kick off with a panel discussion on mental health. On March 6 at 7 pm this conversation will feature Esposito along with five other panelists including mental health professionals, filmmakers, and authors.
Blank Slate runs from March 6-29 at The Box Gallery, West Palm Beach.
Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11-6 p.m. or by appointment.
Roundtable and Press Preview:
March 6, 2021, 7-9 PM ( Donation at the door)
VIP RSVP to PalmBeachFineArtGallery@Gmail.com
Opening Reception:
March 13, 2021, 7-10 PM ( Donation at the door)
VIP RSVP to PalmBeachFineArtGallery@Gmail.com
Artist Talk:
March 20, 2021, 7-9 PM ( Donation at the door)
VIP RSVP to PalmBeachFineArtGallery@Gmail.com
